Burst Limit
by Nintendoman01
Summary: Mega-crossover. In the advent of the war economy, Philanthropy, the BSAA, the Mugen Tenshin Clan, and a host of other individuals and factions find themselves involved in the endless warfare while pursuing their own goals and agendas.
1. Prologue

_**Burst Limit**_

_**By** **Nintendoman01**_

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own any characters from any of the game series that are featured in this story, except for any OCs that are featured. All rights reserved.

**Author's Note:**

Yet another whim of mine. A video game-based mega-crossover that I got the idea from such things as the game _Project X Zone_, the _Capcom Vs._ series, and The Infiniator's story Infinite Gambit. The story will feature quite a few elements and characters from the aforementioned _Project X Zone_, as well as some that I threw in myself, such as _Dead or Alive, Ninja_ _Gaiden_, and_ Metal Gear_ to name a few. I'm gonna try my best to keep the narrative coherent and see where things go.

As usual, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, but **_NO _****_FLAMES._** If you don't like it, don't read it.

And yeah, I know the title's pretty corny, but it was the best I could come up with at the moment. If I manage to come up with a better title, I'll change it.

Okay, let's do it to it.

* * *

- **Prologue -**

* * *

**2010 A.D.  
**

**Japan, Mugen Tenshin Territory**

The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, the forest still silent and peaceful. Occasionally, a bird chirped, though the forest was otherwise still.

A young woman, not quite out of her teens, stood leaning on a tree, wreathed in murky shadow as her thoughts danced in her mind. She was dressed in a blue, side-tie dress with short puffy sleeves, white trim, the kanji for her name stitched in yellow on the back, a light-colored phoenix pattern on the skirt, complete with white stockings, low heeled sandals, and blue-and-white leg guards and arm-guards. Her blade, the Shrouded Moon, was strapped and sheathed on the back of her waist.

_Is this real?_

Kasumi tucked a lock of red hair back behind her ear as she continued thinking, still unable to believe it.

_Am I finally going home?_

It had been three months since her battle with her powerful clone, Alpha-152, in Victor Donovan's secret MIST laboratory. With the help of her family and friends, she had finally been able to destroy the twisted abomination Donovan had crafted in her image, but she was well aware that it was not over. Parting ways with her comrades, she had set off in pursuit of Donovan, determined to take him down and ensure that he would never hurt anyone else again.

However, despite her best efforts, she was unable to find any leads, and the advent of what the world had begun to refer to as the "war economy" only complicated things. Nearly everywhere she had traveled in an attempt to find a lead on Donovan, she saw how much many had suffered because of it_. _

Though Kasumi did not spend much time outside of the Hayabusa village in the two years between the fourth and fifth Dead or Alive tournaments, she was far from oblivious to what was going on in the outside world. The war economy had kickstarted due in part to the so-called Manhattan Incident last year, in which a terrorist group calling themselves the Sons of Liberty had hijacked the Big Shell, an offshore cleanup plant off the coast of Manhattan Island, ending with them crashing a massive submersible warship into New York City itself. In the aftermath of said incident, the SOP System was created by ArmsTech Inc.

From what information Kasumi had managed to gather, the System was a form of battlefield control which enabled military organizations all over the world to monitor and regulate the usage of weapons and soldiers via nanomachines inside of their bodies. As a result, private military companies had sprung up all over the world, with the biggest and most powerful of them all being Liquid Ocelot's Outer Heaven, with war actually becoming a lucrative business practice. Just the thought of people waging war for no reason other than fun and profit filled Kasumi with unbridled anger and revulsion.

_War is hell, plain and simple._

She herself had passed through a few war zones during her pursuit of Donovan. In addition to such things as human soldiers and unmanned weapons such as the two-legged Gekko, she had seen true abominations against nature in use, creatures that most referred to simply as "bio-organic weapons," products of the now-bankrupted Umbrella Corporation.

Despite their efforts to stay isolated from the outside world, both the Mugen Tenshin Clan, as well as the Hayabusa Clan, made sure to keep up to date with what was occurring in the outside world. The Umbrella Corporation had been one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world for nearly a decade, as well as a major corporate rival of DOATEC, and had been recognized all over the globe as one of the driving forces behind economic superiority. And just like DOATEC, Umbrella was heavily corrupt and involved in genetic engineering and bioweaponry behind the scenes, even having their own private military company. However, about twelve years ago, an outbreak involving one of their bioweapons occurred in Raccoon City, a small mountain town in midwestern America, with the U.S. government having been forced to sterilize the area with a surface-to-air nuclear warhead. After that, the U.S. government suspended Umbrella's market trading rights indefinitely. Their unethical business practices were eventually discovered, and Umbrella quickly went bankrupt and was liquidated. Despite this, many of their bio-organic weapons, or B.O.W.s, found their way into the international black market and found use with quite a few terrorist groups. It was ironic in a very twisted way: with bioweapons being sold left and right to all sorts of unscrupulous sorts, the world was actually a better place _with_ Umbrella than _without_ it.

Naturally, due to the usage of B.O.W.s in the war economy, the BSAA, the United Nations-sponsored counter-bioterrorism organization, had also gotten involved in these pointless proxy battles.

After what Donovan had did to her and her brother Hayate in his own super-soldier experiments, Kasumi had every right in the world to oppose bioweapons, and was absolutely disgusted that monsters like Donovan would cause harm to people and twist them into biological abominations for their own selfish ends. Given Donovan's obsession with making the "perfect fighter," it wouldn't surprise her one bit if he had managed to get ahold of some of those B.O.W.s, or even if he sold them to the different armies.

Despite all of this, there was one piece of news that filled her with joy and relief.

Just a few days ago, while sitting in her apartment in Kyoto after her latest attempt to find a lead on Donovan failed, she was approached by her younger half-sister Ayane, and their long-time friend and ally Ryu Hayabusa, who gave her the good news. After much trial and error, Hayate and their parents had finally managed to have the death-mark on Kasumi's head, as well as her status as a runaway shinobi, revoked. She could finally return home to the Mugen Tenshin village. Upon hearing the news, Kasumi promptly fell to the floor and wept with joy.

And now here she was, preparing to return to her childhood home for the first time in years. Though she was still determined to find Donovan and silence him, Kasumi knew that it was pointless to just continue walking the Earth in the off-chance that he might be in the next city over. This homecoming trip was just what she needed to unwind.

After another moment to gather her thoughts, Kasumi brushed her bangs out of her eyes and steeled herself for whatever awaited her.

_Well, here we go._

* * *

**USA, Arlington County, Virginia  
**

It was the crest of nightfall as a taxi slowly roared down the streets to its destination.

The driver looked into the rearview mirror at his passenger, a tall, well-built man in his late thirties with dark brown hair in a mullet, calm, intense blue eyes, and a light stubble over his face. He was dressed in a black double-breasted suit with black dress shoes, a black tie, and white undershirt.

"So, what's the occasion, pal?" he asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"I'm headed to Arlington National Cemetery," the man replied, his voice deep and gravelly. "My... father is buried there." The driver couldn't help but the man's hesitation when he mentioned his father.

"Weren't very close with him, were you?" he asked hesitantly.

"Not really," the man said. "I'd rather not talk about it."

The driver shrugged and they rode the rest of the way in silence, eventually stopping before the cemetery gates. The man quietly got out and gave the driver his fare.

"Thanks for the ride," he said. "Have a good evening."

The driver nodded and drove off. If he had known just who he was talking to at the moment, he would most likely be awestruck; after all, it wasn't every day that one shared a cab ride with the legendary Solid Snake._  
_

Taking no further notice of the departing cab, Snake pulled out a pack of Morley cigarettes and lit one as he made his way through the rows of graves until he stopped before a particular duo of tombstones. One was engraved with the words "_In Memory of a Patriot, Who Saved the World_", whereas the other was completely blank.

It was the unmarked grave that Snake had come to visit. The grave of Big Boss. Even after Big Boss's betrayal, Snake found that he couldn't truly give up his respect for the legendary soldier. After a moment of silence, Snake saluted the grave. Taking one last puff of his cigarette, he ground the stub out under his heel.

A few more minutes passed before a familiar sound reached his years. The whir of a helicopter propeller. Said helicopter landed in the cemetery behind him. Snake didn't even bother to turn around. He knew who was on board.

Sure enough, a skinny, bespectacled man wearing a white coat, gray sweater, jeans, and black boots disembarked the helicopter; Snake's longtime friend and partner, Otacon. He quietly walked up to Snake.

"Even the dead have ears, Otacon," Snake said quietly, still not bothering to turn around. Otacon gave a slight laugh.

"Snake, it's time to go," he said after a minute. "We've got company."

"Is that so?" Snake replied, finally turning to face Otacon.

"His name is Boris," Otacon explained. "He was working with Raiden when he rescued Sunny."

Snake's eyes widened for a brief second. He remembered Raiden all right. Snake and Raiden had teamed up to fight Solidus Snake and the Sons of Liberty during the Big Shell Incident last year. Some time after that, he had managed to save Sunny, the daughter of the late Olga Gurlukovich, and handed her over to Snake and Otacon's care before disappearing under mysterious circumstances. Snake had been trying to find any lead on Raiden's whereabouts, but their efforts had, so far, turned up nothing.

"You think he knows where Raiden is?" Snake asked after a minute.

"It's possible," Otacon replied. "Why else would he go through all this trouble to find us?"

"Okay," Snake said. "Let's go." With that, he made his way to the belly of the chopper, where he saw someone already seated there. The passenger was a late middle-aged man with a mustache, dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans with a black sweater underneath. Snake casually entered the chopper and sat across from him.

"Ah, Solid Snake, _dobryj vyechyer,_" the man said, his voice thick with a Russian accent. He held out his hand, which Snake shook after a slight hesitation.

"You must be Boris," Snake said. He nodded.

"_Da_," he replied. "I am Boris. If you're wondering why exactly I'm here, I figured you had the right to know, given your past history with Raiden."

"Do you know where he is?" Snake asked. Boris nodded.

"From the intel I have gathered, he has been imprisoned at Area 51, courtesy of the Patriots." Snake and Otacon exchanged a look.

"You know about the Patriots?" Snake asked, surprised. Boris nodded.

"Sergei Gurlukovich and I were good friends during my time in the army," he explained. "I found out about them thanks to Raiden. He told me that they were the ones who killed him."

Against all the principles of the founding fathers, the Patriots were the true heads of the United States. Only a handful of people were even aware of their existence. They were the sole authority in the U.S. and the President answered directly to them. The government was a lie. It was only a puppet, and the Patriots were the ones pulling its strings. And, of course, they were the ones behind the war economy.

"We have to help him," Otacon said. "There's no telling what the Patriots are putting him through."

"My thoughts exactly," Snake said. "How fast can we get to Area 51?"

"Once we get to the Nomad, I'll set course immediately."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**

_dobryj vyechyer_: Good evening.

_da_: Yes.

Correct me if I'm wrong. I looked these up online, 'cause I only speak English.

As you can see, in this first chapter alone, we've gotten references to _Dead or Alive,__ Metal Gear,_ and _Resident Evil._ And that's not all; I won't spoil the surprise.

And as for Kasumi's reaction to the whole war economy thing, think about it: the games pretty much make it a point how Kasumi is all compassionate and noble and doesn't really like fighting; it just makes sense that she'd be anti-war, doesn't it?

Please leave feedback; reviews make me happy. Until next chapter...


	2. Chapter 1

**- Chapter 1 -**

* * *

** Japan, Mugen Tenshin Village**

Kasumi calmly made her way up to the village entrance, arms at her side. When she reached the front gate, she was somewhat surprised to see Ayane leaning casually against it with her arms folded across her chest, having apparently been waiting for her.

Ayane looked the same as she always did, with short purple hair and a dark purple bandana tied across her forehead. She was also wearing one of her favorite outfits; a dark purple, strapless dress with a pink butterfly printed on the skirt, with matching pull-on sleeves, stockings, heeled boots, and a red-orange _obi_ tied in a large bow around her waist. However, in contrast to the calm, aloof expression she typically wore, Ayane had a friendly smile on her face, with a matching look in her ruby red eyes.

"Kept you waiting, huh?" Kasumi couldn't help but quip as she approached. Ayane chuckled.

"Far as I'm concerned, it was worth it," she said, extending a hand. "Welcome home, Kasumi."

Kasumi ignored the extended hand and simply hugged Ayane, who, after the briefest of hesitations, returned the embrace. For the first time in years, the two truly felt at peace in each other's presence.

_After all the battles we've had, and all the times we've almost killed each other, I can hardly believe it. At long last, we're family again,_ Kasumi thought, a small tear coming to her eye. Little did she know that Ayane was thinking the exact same thing.

It was a moment before the two broke the hug, and another moment before Kasumi spoke.

"As happy as I am to finally come back, I can't help but worry about how everyone will react," she said. "Just a little while ago, the entire village was trying to kill me." Ayane waved a hand, dismissing the statement.

"You and I both know that everyone here loves you, Kasumi," she said. "No one attacked you because they hated you. They were just following orders."

Kasumi nodded.

"Well, c'mon," Ayane said, smiling. "Everyone's waiting for you."

With that, she took Kasumi's hand and opened the village gates, leading her inside. As they did so, Kasumi was pleasantly surprised to see that not much had changed since she had been gone. She got an even more pleasant surprise when every citizen they passed, ninja or otherwise, stopped what they were doing to welcome her back.

"See? Told ya," Ayane said. "C'mon, Master Hayate and the others are waiting for us."

Kasumi nodded and the two soon found themselves in front of the family home. Steeling herself, Kasumi knocked on the door. After a moment, the door slid open to reveal a woman in her late thirties. Ayane and Kasumi's mother, Ayame.

Ayame looked much the same as Kasumi remembered, with creamy white skin, light brown hair that reached to the middle of her back, and friendly, honey brown eyes. She was clad in an elegant dark blue kimono with small purple butterflies sewn into it in a pattern and a matching purple obi. As soon as she saw Kasumi, her face lit up in a smile and she pulled her into a tight hug.

"Welcome home, dear," she said, sounding on the verge of tears. "I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Mother." Kasumi replied, sounding much the same. Ayane just stood there, watching the reunion with a smile on her face until Kasumi grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the hug.

The embrace continued for several moments before the three reluctantly broke it apart.

"Come on in," Ayame said, taking Kasumi's hand. "You look exhausted."

"You have no idea." Kasumi replied. With that, she and Ayane carefully nudged her way past her mother and made her way inside, making sure to remove their tabis before going any further. A small gathering of people were seated around a table in the main room.

At the head of the table was Hayate, wearing his typical dark blue and black bodysuit and blue headband. Seated on either side of him was their father Shiden, dressed in a white-and-blue robe, and Ryu, who, while still wearing his black bodysuit, had removed the mask and hood. Sitting next to Ryu was his apprentice Momiji, her black hair tied back in her trademark high ponytail and donned in her typical red-and-white ninja garb. As soon as they all saw Kasumi, however, they quickly stood and crowded around her.

"Welcome back, Kasumi," Shiden said, embracing her. Kasumi happily returned the hug and thanked him. After a moment, she broke the embrace and turned to Momiji.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," she said. Momiji smiled.

"I wouldn't have missed your homecoming for the world, Kasumi." she said. Returning the smile, Kasumi turned to Hayate and hugged him.

"I can still hardly believe that you managed to convince the council to let me back in," she said. Hayate patted her on the back before gently pushing her away.

"It took some doing, but we finally got through to them," he said. "We all still think you could have gone about what you did differently, but you never should have been declared a traitor to begin with."

Everyone nodded in agreement. With that, the group sat back down around the table, Ryu, Momiji, Hayate, and Shiden sitting in their original places, with Ayane sitting in-between Ryu and Momiji, Ayame taking her place next to Shiden, and Kasumi taking a place at the opposite end of the table from Hayate.

"So," Hayate began, "from what I've heard, you haven't been able to find any leads on where Donovan is hiding, am I right?" Kasumi nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "I've searched all over the world for three months, and not a trace of him. And this war economy business certainly didn't help. I still can't believe that people are promoting war as a business."

"It's a fact of life, Kasumi," Ryu said. "As long as there are people, there will always be war. It's sad, but it's true."

"But these wars aren't about anything like territory or ideology," Kasumi replied. "It's all just pointless proxy battles for the sake of money. No higher reason, no just cause. All they care about is lining their own pockets. It's disgusting!"

Kasumi stopped and took a minute to compose herself before continuing. "And it's not just that. I've seen... things. Not just human soldiers and unmanned weapons. Quite a few of the PMCs and rebel groups have gotten their hands on B.O.W.s." Everyone gasped at that.

"B.O.W.s?" Ayane said, aghast. "You mean like those zombies and monsters that the Umbrella Corporation were behind?"

Kasumi nodded. "Yeah. After everything that happened with Alpha-152, I have every right to oppose bioweapons. Knowing Donovan, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he got ahold of some of them, or even sold them to the PMCs."

"By the sound of it, I'm guessing you got involved in one of the war zones while you were looking for Donovan?" Shiden asked.

Kasumi nodded again. "Yes, Father. It was just last month. I was in China when it happened..."

* * *

**Flashback**

**China, Bosawan**

Kasumi crouched at the top of the building, looking down at the streets below. The soldiers she saw below were from Raven Sword, one of the five PMCs that composed Outer Heaven, and they were currently engaged in a firefight with the local militia, though she didn't have to have any real combat experience to tell that the militiamen were no match for Raven Sword. Not with ArmsTech's System on their side.

Kasumi was annoyed. She had pursued rumors of MIST all the way to the city of Waiyip in the Chinese province of Lanshiang, and was currently in the Bosawan district, which was little more than a shantytown. So far, all she had run into was another PMC/rebel conflict.

She was still dressed in the black leather bodysuit and blue choker that she had worn during the final showdown with Alpha-152, though she had added a long blue cape that bore a white floral design on the back. Having seen enough, she rose, her cape briefly catching the wind, and walked away to the other side of the roof, jumping down the three stories as casually as any other person would take a step off the curb, and landing without fail. As soon as she did, she walked down the labyrinthine streets of the district, lost in thought.

_This is getting ridiculous,_ she thought. _I've been combing the entire planet for two blasted months, and I haven't found any sign of Donovan. Where are you hiding, you cowardly snake?_

"Please don't hurt me! Oh God, _no_!"

Kasumi snapped back to attention at the sound of that voice. A female voice, filled with what could only be described as mind-blowing terror. She looked around and saw a little girl, who couldn't be any older than ten or eleven years, emerge from a nearby building, running like the hounds of Hell were on her heels.

"Help! Please, somebody help me!"

In a blind panic, the girl didn't stop sprinting until she slammed into Kasumi full-force. Kasumi barely flinched, while the girl bounced off and would have fallen on her butt if Kasumi hadn't caught hold of her arm. Almost as soon as she did, however, the girl shrieked and latched her other hand around her wrist, digging her nails in as she furiously tried to pull herself free.

"Let me go! Let me _go_!" she screamed, struggling like an animal caught in a trap.

"Calm down, it's okay!" Kasumi said. The girl stopped thrashing and looked up, the fear white on her face. Kasumi gave her a warm smile. "Don't be scared. I won't hurt you."

At that, the girl burst into tears and hugged Kasumi around the waist. In gentle response, Kasumi stroked her hair before gently disentangling herself from the girl, holding her at arm's length. She was clearly native Chinese, clad in a pink shirt and blue jeans, and her shoulder-length black hair was disheveled. As far as Kasumi could tell, the girl was uninjured, but scared half to death.

"My name is Kasumi," she said carefully. "What's yours?"

The girl took a deep breath before answering. "Lian."

"Lian," Kasumi parroted with a smile. "That's a pretty name." After a minute, she snapped back to the task at hand. "Now, what's going on? Who or what is after you?" Lian shuddered.

"M-monsters," she stammered. "They attacked my house here. They took my mommy and daddy, and now they're coming after _me_!"

"Monsters?" Kasumi asked. Did she mean an unmanned weapon, like a Gekko? However, the child was spared the effort of an explanation. A bloodcurdling hiss sounded, and Lian squealed in fear. Kasumi immediately rose to her full height, her hand descending to the hilt of Shrouded Moon.

"Get behind me. Quick!" she hissed. The girl quickly did so as a large pack of hunched over creatures galloped out of the building the girl had come out of.

_Oh Kami, what are those things?!_

The creatures were green, bipedal reptilian humanoids, with egg-white eyes and teeth and claws that could easily shred flesh. Though their name was lost on Kasumi, she quickly realized that they were B.O.W.s from the Umbrella Corporation.

_Who set them loose? Raven Sword? The rebels? Someone else?_

Kasumi shook her head. She would worry about who sent the B.O.W.s after she stopped them from tearing her and Lian limb from limb.

One of the creatures sprang forward, claws extended to impale Kasumi, who instinctively lashed out with a powerful side kick that caught it squarely in the face. The creature let out a shriek of pain and flew back, blood and broken teeth flying out of its mouth as it hit the ground. The other creatures crowded around their fallen packmate, and Kasumi turned back to Lian, determined to take advantage of the distraction.

"Lian, listen to me," she said quickly and calmly. "Hold onto me and close your eyes. Don't look at anything, don't listen to anything. You shut everything out. Do you understand?"

Lian nodded and obediently wrapped her little arms tightly around Kasumi's neck while Kasumi simultaneously picked her up, holding her close to her hip with her left arm while drawing her wakizashi with her free hand. As she did so, Lian squeezed her eyes tightly shut and buried her face into the hollow of Kasumi's shoulder. As if on cue, the creatures turned their attention back to her, with the one Kasumi had kicked regaining its feet and getting ready to attack again.

Kasumi beat it to the punch and thrust forward with Shrouded Moon, impaling the reptile through the eye with such for that the blade popped out, dripping with blood and brain matter, through the back of its head. The creature screamed in pain as Kasumi jerked her sword out of its head, dead before it hit the ground.

The death sent a signal to the others. They let out a terrifying shriek that made Kasumi's ears ring and began their advance, snarling and growling_._ Kasumi felt her resolve falter for a minute, but when Lian whimpered and tightened her hold, she snapped back into action.

First things first, she had to get Lian away from them. Tensing her legs, she sprang into the air, leaping over the beasts. Landing on the balls of her feet, Kasumi sheathed her sword and took off running with the reptiles in hot pursuit. She made it a few blocks before one of the monsters caught up and sprang forward. On instinct, Kasumi whirled around in time to see it coming but not in time to dodge or deflect it; all she could do was turn just enough to shield Lian's body with her own, with the beast's claws hitting her right side, tearing through her suit and pulling open a sizzling line of pain across her ribs. She promptly gnashed her teeth to contain a scream of pain and kicked the reptile away with all her might, her right hand cradling her blood-soaked wound.

The rest of the beasts were beginning to catch up, and Kasumi was already beginning to feel light-headed from the blood loss.

_This is _not _good! _

But at that moment, Kasumi heard a burst of gunfire, and one of the beasts screeched in agony before falling dead, riddled with bullets. She looked around and saw a small squad of soldiers behind them. Seeing the logo on their uniforms, she quickly realized they weren't the rebels or the PMCs.

_The BSAA are in this too?_

Kasumi quickly moved over to the wall and knelt down, gently depositing Lian on the ground before examining the slash marks on her right side. The monster had gotten her pretty good across the ribs, but she was relieved that the damage was not as bad as she thought. From there, she sat, Lian still clinging to her like a spider, and watched as the BSAA finished off the reptiles. When all was done, a shadow fell over her, and she looked up to see a tall, muscular man. He had dark hair and matching eyes, a dark stubble over his face, and wore a short-sleeved BSAA uniform with what appeared to be green tennis shoes. Despite his imposing figure, his face was friendly, with a concerned smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked, offering his hand. Kasumi took it and he helped her to her feet.

"One of them got me with his claws." she said, showing him the slash marks. The man looked at the wounds for a minute.

"We need to get you patched up," he said. "Rebecca!"

A woman with short brown hair, appearing to be in her early thirties, promptly made her way over, pulling a medi-pack out of her bag and getting to work.

"Thank you for your help, Mister..." Kasumi said.

"Chris," the man replied automatically. "Chris Redfield. And you are?"

"Kasumi."

"Kasumi?" Rebecca said in surprise, looking at her. "As in the Dead or Alive tournaments' Kasumi?"

"Yes," Kasumi replied before turning back to Chris. "I've heard a lot about you, Captain Redfield, but I never thought we'd ever actually meet."

"Just call me Chris, and I could say the same about you," Chris said, before gesturing to Lian. "Is this kid with you?"

"Kind of," Kasumi explained, wincing as Rebecca dabbed a peroxide-soaked cotton swab on her wound. "Those things were chasing her when she ran into me. I was helping her get away, but I screwed up."

"Don't sell yourself short," Chris said. "Not many people can claim to have a run-in with Hunters and live."

"Is that what those monsters are called?" Kasumi asked, getting a nod from Chris. "Okay. She said those things got her parents. What are we going to do with her?"

"If her parents are still alive, we'll find them," Rebecca said as she wrapped gauze around Kasumi's torso. "If not, here's a safe house for civilians and survivors not far from here. She'll be in good hands."

With that, she finished patching her up. "There we go. You should be fine as long as you don't overexert yourself too much."

"Thank you, Rebecca. And you too, Chris," Kasumi said, bowing politely. As she stood, Lian reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Wait!" she said. Kasumi stopped and knelt down to Lian's level. "You saved me. Thank you so much, Kasumi."

"You're quite welcome," Kasumi said with a smile, ruffling Lian's hair before rising again. "I have to get going now."

Before Chris and Rebecca could object, Kasumi spun in a circle once and vanished in a cloud of cherry blossom petals. After a moment, Rebecca spoke up.

"So, you think that ninja gimmick of hers isn't just a gimmick?" she asked. Chris shrugged.

"After everything I've seen, and what she just did, it wouldn't surprise me." he replied.

**Flashback Over**

* * *

**Japan, Mugen Tenshin Village**

"...And that's how it happened," Kasumi said, shivering slightly. "If Chris and his squad hadn't shown up when they did... I don't know what I would have done."

Hayate looked at her, his face even more stern than usual. "I never should have let you go after Donovan alone," he said after a moment.

Kasumi looked at him, her face defiant. "I'm not some helpless little girl, brother," she said. "I can take care of myself."

"And look what happened!" Hayate shot back, rising to his feet. "You could have been killed!"

Kasumi sprang to her feet and slammed her palms down on the table. Everyone jumped at her sudden outburst.

"We're in this whole mess with Donovan because of me!" she shouted. "He had me kidnapped after I killed Raidou! He stole my blood and made all of those damned Alpha clones! I started this, and it's _my_ responsibility to finish it!"

"_Stop it_!" Ayane screamed. Everyone turned to her. "Look, I don't know how we're gonna track down Donovan, but I do know that we're not accomplishing anything by sitting here fighting with each other!"

With an effort, Kasumi and Hayate regained their composure. "...Right." they both said simultaneously, sitting back down calmly. After a moment, Ayame lay her hand on Kasumi's arm.

"Kasumi, this isn't just your fight," she said gently. "You don't have to do everything alone."

"Lady Ayame's right, Kasumi," Momiji added. "One person can only do so much. You'll just run yourself ragged at this rate."

Kasumi sighed. "You're right," she said. "Speaking of which, I hadn't realized just how tired I am until now."

"You should get some rest, then," Ryu said, rising with everyone else doing the same.

"Your bedroom is just as you left it, Kasumi," Shiden said. "Even after everything that happened, we couldn't bring ourselves to change it."

"I'm glad you didn't." Kasumi said, smiling.

"What's our next move, Hayate?" Ryu asked, turning to him. Hayate thought for a minute.

"All we can really do right now is wait and be patient," he said. "Sooner or later, Donovan will make a move."

"And when he does, we'll have him." Ayane added.

Ryu replaced his mask and hood. "I'll check with Irene and Mizuki, see if they've heard anything," he said.

"Good call," Kasumi said. "Well, if there's nothing else, I'm gonna go get some sleep. If you find anything out about Donovan, anything at all, let me know as soon as possible."

Hayate nodded. "We will. And Kasumi?" Kasumi looked him in the eye. "It's good to have you back."

Kasumi gave her brother a smile and went to her old bedroom. Indeed, the room was exactly as she left it. In high spirits, she got herself ready for bed and lay down on her futon. As she drifted off, Kasumi had one thought:

_It's so good to be home._

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**

Well, that took a while.

Next chapter, we go back to Snake for Raiden's rescue mission.

Please R&R. Until next time...


	3. Chapter 2

**- Chapter 2 -**

* * *

**USA, Area 51  
**

Snake had heard the rumors and gossip about Area 51, of course. Word was that it was the host to all sorts of flying saucers and alien technology, the works. It hardly surprised him that the facility was run by the Patriots.

And somewhere inside, Raiden was being held prisoner.

On that thought, he activated the stealth camouflage unit on his belt. He didn't like having to rely on the gadget, but given the security around the complex, he needed all the help he could get.

Even from behind the iron gate, Snake could see the guards. They were all armed to the teeth. He knew he stood little chance against them head-on, which suited him just fine. Stealth was his specialty, after all.

According to the intel Boris had provided them, Raiden was being held in some kind of cybernetics lab within the complex, though he was uncertain where exactly in the building it was. Once inside, Snake figured he'd just have to make it up as he went.

With that, Snake made his way through the gate, moving stealthily; even though he had stealth camo, he was being careful in the event of a malfunction. Moving as swiftly and silently as he could, he made his way up to the front door of the complex, hiding behind a parked jeep. Peering around the tire, he observed a sentry make his way to the door, remove his glove, and place it on what appeared to be a palm scanner. After a moment, the door slid open, and the sentry entered.

_Now! _

Snake sprang to his feet and dashed to the door, making it through just before it closed. The sentry he followed inside stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly, having apparently heard his footsteps.

Snake stopped breathing. A second passed.

Then another.

And another.

The guard finally just shrugged his shoulders and turned back around, walking away. As soon as he was out of earshot, Snake contacted Otacon on the codec.

"This is Snake," he said. "Do you read me, Otacon?"

"Loud and clear," came the reply. "What's your status?"

"I'm inside the complex. Now all I gotta do is find out where exactly they're keeping Raiden."

"And how are you gonna get him back out?" Otacon asked.

"Not sure," Snake admitted. "Kinda making it up as I go from here."

"Oh, boy."

Snake ended the call and began crouch-walking his way through the complex. It wasn't long before he came across what appeared to be an open office. A voice reached his ears. A young, female one.

"You can't be serious!"

His curiosity peaked, Snake crept over to the door and pressed his back to the wall right next to it, peering around the corner to see inside. It was an office, all right, and two people were inside, apparently arguing.

The first was indeed a girl, in her late teens from the looks of it. Her facial features were distinctly Asian, though it was a little hard to tell due to the black aviator sunglasses, reminiscent of those worn by the late McDonell Miller, that covered her eyes. She had short black hair, dyed judging by her visible red roots, tied back in a samurai-style ponytail, and was dressed in a black midriff-baring sweatshirt, dark blue jeans, black fingerless gloves, and black work boots under a three-quarter length black leather coat, and topped it off with what appeared to be black lipstick and nail polish. Despite her youth and petite build, the girl had an air of confidence around her, and an aura of menace that made Snake's blood run cold.

Her companion was an older man, his hair and beard gray. He was dressed in a white long-sleeved dress shirt and tie with black slacks and dress shoes under a white lab coat. He also carried a similar aura of confidence and menace, and Snake couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen the man somewhere before.

"You heard me, Nayuki," the man said. "Their orders are absolute. You are to remain here until further notice."

"Like hell I will!"

Snake was right in his initial assumption. Judging by her facial structure and name, the girl, Nayuki, was Japanese or at least Japanese-American, judging by her flawless American accent when she spoke.

The man got in Nayuki's face. "How dare you show such insolence?!" he spat. "You serve the La-li-lu-le-lo, just as I do! You are a dog on a leash! If they say bark, you bark! If they have to kick you, don't bare your teeth! When the Wiseman's Committee hears of your impudent-"

That was all the man got out before Nayuki lunged forward and grabbed him by the throat with her right hand. With no effort at all, she lifted him off the ground like he was nothing but a feather pillow. Snake was dumbfounded. The Nayuki kid was clearly far more powerful than her size suggested.

"News flash, Vidic," she snarled, "I don't give a rat's ass about you _or_ the fucking Patriots! They're a means to an end, nothing more! And can you honestly say you 'serve' them? You and your flunkies at Abstergo are using them to further your own ends just like I am!"

_Abstergo?_ Snake thought, flabbergasted. _As in Abstergo Industries?_

Vidic choked and gasped, vainly trying to pry away Nayuki's fingers, but her grip was like steel.

"You can tell the Wiseman's Committee that they can stick their orders where the sun don't shine, 'cause I'm gonna go to Japan and take down Kasumi. As long as she's still sucking air, I'll never be free!"

With that, Nayuki let go of Vidic's neck, and he dropped to the ground like a load of bricks, gasping for air and rubbing his neck.

"Besides," she went on, sounding much calmer, "I'm not needed here. It's not like Raiden's just gonna get up and walk out of the cybernetics lab in the West Wing, y'know."

_The West Wing's cybernetics lab? _Snake thought to himself. Though her comments about this Kasumi character interested him somewhat, he shook it off. Raiden was the mission objective here.

Vidic got to his feet, one hand to his bruised neck. "You're making a _very_ serious mistake, Nayuki." he hissed, his voice raspy.

"Yeah, it would really help if I cared," Nayuki retorted. "But I don't."

With that, she stepped back from Vidic, glowing with what appeared to be a red aura, much to Snake's surprise. He got an even bigger surprise when Nayuki spun around once and vanished in a red flash.

_What the hell?! _

"That insolent, arrogant child," Vidic grumbled to himself. "The La-li-lu-le-lo do not tolerate disobedience, and neither do the Templars."

Snake crept away, having heard what he needed to hear while filing away Vidic's mention of the Templars in the back of his mind. They would have to run a data check on that later.

Soon enough, Snake found himself in the West Wing. Unsurprisingly, the cybernetics lab Nayuki mentioned had two heavily armed sentries patrolling in front of it.

_Oh, good. For a second there, I thought this was gonna be too easy. _

Snake pulled his Beretta M92F tranquilizer gun out of its holster, while pulling his stun knife out of its sheath. Assuming the CQC stance, he crept up behind the nearest sentry and grabbed him, flinging him to the ground and giving him a jolt with the stun knife. The other sentry heard the commotion, but didn't even have time to turn around before Snake grabbed him in a chokehold, holding the blade to his throat.

"How do I get in the lab?" Snake hissed, pressing his knife into the sentry's neck without cutting into his flesh... yet.

"I... I have a keycard," the guard replied, his voice trembling. "It'll get you in there."

At that, Snake slipped his free hand into the guard's pocket and fished out the card.

"Thank you for your time." he said pleasantly, and then promptly clubbed the sentry unconscious with the butt of his M9. Making his way over to the lab entrance, he slipped the keycard through the slot.

"Access granted," a computerized voice said. An electronic buzz sounded, and the light on the key slot changed from red to green. With that, Snake entered, only to stop short at the sight before him.

_Kid_, Snake thought in a mixture of horror and anger. _What have they done to you?_

Strapped to an upright operating table was an unconscious Raiden, but he had undergone some heavy modifications. His body was now a cybernetic exoskeleton, primarily colored white, silver, and black with golden shoulder pads, with the torso area bearing a slight resemblance to the Skull Suit he had worn at the Big Shell. His lower jaw was prosthetic, an open visor covered his head, his fingers were tipped with claw-like nails, and his feet vaguely resembled high-heeled shoes. It was clear what had been done to Raiden: he was the latest Cyborg Ninja.

_Those bastards..._

Holstering his gun and knife, Snake deactivated his stealth camo and made his way over to Raiden, lightly shaking him by the shoulder. "Raiden..."

No reaction.

"Hey, Raiden..."

Raiden stirred, let out a pained moan, and opened his eyes. He looked up at Snake's face, but couldn't get his eyes to focus on the figure before him.

"Raiden, it's me," Snake said, slowly and carefully. "I'm here to get you out."

The world finally swam back into focus, and Raiden finally made out the figure before him. "Snake?"

Snake nodded and pressed a button on the side of the table, and almost immediately, the straps restraining Raiden retracted into the table. Raiden dropped to the ground on his hands and knees with a grunt.

Snake looked around and saw Raiden's high-frequency blade, in its sheath and leaning upright in the corner. He immediately retrieved it and brought it over to Raiden, who took it and used it as a crutch to help himself up. After a moment, he looked at Snake, a small smirk on his face.

"What took you so long?"

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**

And now we have _Assassin's Creed_ thrown into the mix. When I say mega-crossover, I _mean_ mega-crossover.

Next chapter, we chronicle Snake and Raiden's escape from Area 51, and go back to Kasumi and co. As for this Nayuki chick and her beef with Kasumi, you'll just have to wait and see.

The ending part with Snake and Raiden, as well as their dialogue, was taken right from the Red Band trailer for _Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain._ Thought it would work well here.

Please R&R. Until next time, people.


	4. Chapter 3

**- Chapter 3 -**

* * *

**USA, Area 51  
**

"Boris got a hold of me and Otacon," Snake explained. "He led us here."

"Boris, huh?" Raiden replied as he strapped his HF blade to his belt. "He's a good man. I knew he'd come through for me."

"If only we'd gotten here sooner," Snake said mournfully, looking at Raiden's cyborg form. "We might have been able to stop them from-" Raiden raised a hand to silence him.

"It's not your fault, Snake," he said. "If anything, it's mine. I got sloppy and let my guard down. That's how they got me."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

A new voice reached the duo's ears. Snake whirled around, drawing his Operator handgun instead of the tranquilizer this time, and stopped short when he came face-to-face with Nayuki, who was leaning casually on the wall next to the door with a superior smirk on her lips.

"So you're the legendary Solid Snake, eh?" she said. "We meet at last."

"The pleasure's all yours," Snake spat, keeping the Operator trained on her. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pump your guts full of lead right now."

Nayuki snickered, then suddenly became a blur of movement. Before Snake could do more than register the fact, Nayuki reappeared in front of him and slapped the gun aside before spinning him around and grabbing him in a CQC headlock.

"'Cause _that's_ how fast I could take you if I wanted to," she said casually before releasing him. "Why do you think I leaked the information on Raiden's location to Boris in the first place?"

Snake was shocked. "It was you?"

"Of course!" Nayuki replied. "I knew you were listening in on my little 'conversation' with Vidic, too, so I intentionally let it slip that Raiden was being held in this lab for you."

"What do you have to gain by busting me out?" Raiden demanded.

"Loose lips sink ships, Jack," Nayuki shot back. "You two have your part to play in what's to come, and you'll find out what it is soon enough. Now, if you wanna get outta this hellhole, you better hurry."

On that note, she turned away from Snake and Raiden and made for the door.

"Wait," Snake said. Nayuki stopped in her tracks. "Who and what are you, exactly?"

Nayuki hesitated for a moment before turning her head only slightly.

"I'm a beast," she replied, a note of anger and melancholy in her voice. "A shadow in the shape of a human being. A shadow on which no light can fall. Until I destroy _her_, I'll never be anything more."

"You mean that Kasumi girl?" Snake asked.

Nayuki tensed, then replied "Yes."

With that, she vanished in a red flash, leaving Snake and Raiden by themselves.

"I know who she's talking about," Raiden piped up suddenly. "I heard her talking about it in the lab a few days ago."

"Who?" Snake asked, turning to Raiden.

"The same Kasumi from the Dead or Alive tournaments. That's who she's after."

* * *

**Japan, Mugen Tenshin Village  
**

Two hours later, Ayame decided to check up on Kasumi. She still found it difficult to believe that her daughter was finally home where she belonged.

On that note, she made her way to Kasumi's bedroom and let herself in. Sure enough, sleeping peacefully on the futon was Kasumi.

_This _is _real. She's really back..._

With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, Ayame knelt down beside her sleeping daughter and gently kissed her forehead.

Kasumi cooed softly in her sleep and rolled over onto her side. With that, Ayame smoothed her hair back and took her leave. No sooner had she made her way back to the main room and sat down than she heard a tiny knock on the door.

"You may enter."

The door slid open and two little girls cautiously entered.

"Hello, Lady Ayame," one of them said meekly. "Are we disturbing you?"

"Of course not, Sora," Ayame said with a smile. "You and Keiko are always welcome here."

The children, Sora and Keiko, were ten-year-old twin sisters, Sora being the older of the two, who idolized Ayane and Kasumi. They were both fair-skinned with jet-black hair and near-identical cherub faces, though Keiko kept her hair trimmed to the nape of her neck whereas Sora let hers reach the small of her back and kept it in a low ponytail. Aside from their differing hairstyles, the only other thing that differentiated the two was their eye colors; Sora's eyes were china blue while Keiko's were a vibrant shade of green; many believed that the two had some Western blood in them as a result. Ayame had always gotten along well with their parents, partially because they were among the few people in the Tenjin Mon sect of the village that never shunned Ayane or looked upon her with contempt. For all their physical similarities, their personalities were quite different: Sora was perky, bubbly, and outspoken whereas Keiko was quiet, bashful, and meek.

At the moment, Sora and Keiko were dressed in respective blue and green training gi, having recently begun ninja training. To complete her look, Keiko had a dark red bandana tied across her forehead, knotted on the left side of her head just as Ayane wore her own bandana.

"W-we ran into Mistress Ayane after we got back from t-training today," Keiko stuttered shyly. "She t-told us that Lady Kasumi was back home."

"We came over to say hi and welcome her back." Sora finished.

"She's sleeping right now, but I'll let her know you stopped by," Ayame said.

"No need."

The three turned in the direction of the voice, and Sora and Keiko's faces lit up with smiles of pure joy and admiration at the sight of Kasumi, dressed in a beautiful lapis blue kimono and blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

Sora let out a squee of excitement and flew at Kasumi, catching her in a tight hug around the middle. After a moment, Kasumi returned the embrace with a smile as Keiko meekly approached her and bowed politely.

"W-welcome home, Lady Kasumi," she said. "It's been a long time."

"We're so happy to see you, my lady!" Sora gushed, releasing her tight hold on Kasumi. "We missed you so much!"

"You two don't have to be so formal," Kasumi said calmly; she never liked being treated like a princess despite her heritage. She knelt down so she was at eye level with the twins. "Wow, you two got so big!"

There was some truth to that statement. The last time Kasumi had seen them, which was right before she left the village in pursuit of Raidou, they were only eight.

"So, you two are training to be kunoichis?" Kasumi asked, noticing their gi.

"Yep!" Sora said enthusiastically. "So we can be just like you and Mistress Ayane!"

Kasumi smiled at that. She recalled that Keiko, given her meek and shy disposition, was often the target of bullying by the other village kids, and Sora was always prepared to stand up for her. At that thought, she found herself drifting back to one particular incident...

* * *

**Flashback  
**

A younger Ayane and Kasumi, the former thirteen and the latter fourteen, were walking back from the waterfall where they used to play as children, something Kasumi had arranged in an attempt to rekindle the friendship that had seemingly died the day they found out they were sisters. Though Ayane was reluctant at first, she eventually gave in after Kasumi playfully pushed her into the water, and it was just like old times.

Unfortunately, the sounds of a nearby commotion ruined the moment.

"Nooooo! Give that back!"

Both Kasumi and Ayane stopped short at that sound and turned to see a small crowd forming. Their curiosity peaked, the two quickly made their way over to see what was going on.

Beyond the crowd was a then-five-year-old Keiko, dressed in a dark purple kimono with neck length black hair and a face streaked with tears. Before her was a boy, older by about a few years, with a mocking grin on his face. In his hand was a beautiful hair ornament, which both Kasumi and Ayane recognized as a Kanoko Dome. Standing on either side of him were two other boys around his age.

"Give it back, Koji!" Keiko wailed. "Please!"

"You want it back?" the boy, Koji, sneered. "Then come and take it."

Keiko charged forward, only for Koji to calmly put his hand on top of her head and hold her at arm's length, laughing cruelly as Keiko tried in vain to snatch the hair ornament back. After a moment or two of this, he gave Keiko a push that sent her falling back on her rump. Just the mere sight of this made Ayane and Kasumi's blood boil.

"You'd be able to grab it if you weren't such a wimp, Keiko," Koji mocked.

Just then, Sora, her face identical to Keiko's but with waist-length black hair, and dressed in a white kimono with milky pink trim, pushed her way through the crowd and stomped over to her sister's tormentor with a look of protective rage on her face.

"You leave my little sister alone!" she screamed before lashing out and kicking Koji in the groin with all her might.

Koji screamed in pain and staggered back, both hands cupping his crotch as he fell to the ground. One of his cronies promptly stepped forward and hit Sora across the face with an open-palmed strike that was too hard and brutal to be called a slap. The crowd gasped collectively as Sora was knocked sprawling on the ground, her left cheek an angry red. For a moment there was silence, and then Sora began to sob in pain and fear. Keiko shrieked as the boy bore down on Sora and snatched her up by the hair.

"You think you can just barge in on our business, Sora?!" the boy spat, his free hand raised in a fist. "This time, you're _really_ gonna get it!"

And that was when Kasumi and Ayane had enough. Nodding at each other, they both bulldozed their way through the crowd and over to the bullies.

"_**HEY!**_" Ayane shouted, her voice filled with rage. The boy turned in her direction, and the rage in his face quickly disintegrated into mindless panic.

"Oh Kami, it's the demon!" he squeaked. He immediately let go of Sora and made as if to run, but just barely managed to turn around before Ayane snatched ahold of his shirt and spun him around while Kasumi made her way over to Sora and Keiko.

"So you like hitting little girls, huh?" Ayane snarled, shaking the boy like a rag doll. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!"

"You three should be ashamed of yourselves!" Kasumi chimed in as she helped Sora to a sitting position and began to straighten her messy hair.

Koji stood up shakily, still cupping his groin, and his jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw Kasumi.

"L-L-Lady Kasumi!" he stuttered. "H-how n-n-nice to see you-"

Koji didn't get out much more than that before Ayane bodily lifted up the boy she was manhandling and threw him into Koji like a beanbag, knocking them both to the ground.

"Save it, Koji," Kasumi spat. "Just give Keiko her hair ornament back and get out of my sight before I get my father out here."

Without a word, Koji held out the Kanoko Dome, which Ayane promptly yanked out of his hand. As she did so, she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and jerked him forward so they were nose to nose.

"Don't ever let me catch you messing with these two again," she hissed. "_Or else._"

Koji nodded, and with that, Ayane let him go and he slunk off with his friends. With them gone, the crowd began to disperse as Ayane made her way over to where Kasumi, Keiko, and Sora were still sitting and knelt down in front of Keiko.

"It's okay now," she said, handing Keiko the hair ornament. Keiko smiled at her as she took it back.

Sora just sat there crying as Kasumi continued to fix her hair. "There, there. Don't cry." she said as she finished straightening Sora's hair. Both Sora and Keiko looked up at Kasumi and Ayane, their puffy eyes wide with admiration. With that out of the way, Kasumi pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and gently wiped the tears away from their faces.

"T-thank you, Lady Kasumi," Keiko sniffled. "And you two, Mistress Ayane."

Ayane's eyes widened at the respectful title, but she brushed it off.

"You mind if I ask why that hair ornament is so important?" she asked Keiko. Keiko looked away bashfully.

"Our grandma gave it to her as a birthday present last year before she passed away," Sora explained. "It's all we really have to remember her by."

"I see." said Kasumi.

"W-why did you help us?" Sora asked. "You didn't have to."

"Do we need a reason to want to help someone in trouble?" Kasumi asked. Sora shook her head.

"Besides," Ayane said, "your parents have always been so nice to me. I'm just returning the favor."

Unbeknownst to the quartet at the time, Shiden, Ayame, and Sora and Keiko's parents, Yuna and Kohaku, were observing the spectacle from a nearby house with smiles on their faces.

**Flashback Over **

* * *

"Hey, Lady Kasumi!"

Sora clapped her hands together in front of Kasumi's face, snapping her back into the present with a small burst of light as if the projector in her mind had just blown a fuse.

"Are you okay?" Keiko asked. "You just kinda zoned out for a minute there."

"I'm fine," Kasumi said with a smile. "I was just remembering how me and Ayane helped you get your grandmother's hair ornament back."

Ayame smiled. "I remember that day," she said. "You two were always Sora and Keiko's heroes because of that."

"Mama and Daddy never cared what the villagers said about Mistress Ayane," Keiko recalled. "They said that no matter how Ayane came into this world, she was a Mugen Tenshin like the rest of us, and they made sure we knew it."

"You're both so strong and beautiful, Lady Kasumi," Sora said, grinning. "We wanna be just like you when we grow up."

Kasumi smiled admirably at the two youngsters.

"Mother! Kasumi!"

Ayane's voice cut through the silence. The group turned to the door as Ayane scrambled inside, followed by Momiji.

"Ayane, what's happening?" Kasumi asked, alarmed.

"The Black Spider Clan are on their way here!" Momiji exclaimed. "They're coming in force!"

"What?!" Ayame demanded. "What can they possibly want?!"

"It's not the Black Spiders themselves," Ayane explained. "It's who's leading this squad."

"Who?" Kasumi asked. "Is it Obaba? She's supposed to be dead!"

"No, it's not Obaba," Momiji cut in. "It's some girl who calls herself Nayuki." She looked Kasumi dead in the face.

"I don't know how it's possible, Kasumi... but she looks just like you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well, sounds like Nayuki's making her first move against Kasumi. Dun dun duuuunnn...

If you're wondering where I came up with the names of the original characters in this chapter (Sora, Keiko, Koji, etc.), they're just the first Japanese names that popped into my head, and I decided to go with them.

Next chapter chronicles Nayuki and Kasumi's first meeting and first fight, and we learn just who she is, what she wants, and where she came from. And some other characters might make an appearance as well.

Please R&R. Until next time, my adoring public!


End file.
